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Arkansas | Central Arkansas
Saline River
Tony Kelly Ford Access to Saline Crossing Access
Check current paddling conditions for this Saline River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.
Today's conditions
Gauge
Recent trend
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Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Best window today
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Today by hour
Short-route forecast
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Quick facts
Plan
Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.
Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.
Access plan
Access, shuttle, and map
Launch at Tony Kelly Ford and take out at Saline Crossing for the longest current lower-Benton Saline day that still uses fully public named accesses. The route combines the upper Tony-Kelly segment with the downstream spillway / bridge hazard package, so mileage and hazard management both matter.
Put-in
Tony Kelly Ford AccessOpen mapTony Kelly Ford is a simple public river access with limited parking and no developed campground support in the reviewed source set.
Take-out
Saline Crossing AccessOpen mapLyle Park is the key intermediate public access before the lower spillway / low-dam and low-water-bridge hazards downstream of Benton.
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Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Tony Kelly Ford is a simple public river access with limited parking and no developed campground support in the reviewed source set.
- Lyle Park is the key intermediate public access before the lower spillway / low-dam and low-water-bridge hazards downstream of Benton.
- Cherry Demuth Access is currently closed, so do not treat it as a dependable bailout or shuttle point on this route.
- AGFC says the Benton Water Purification Plant spillway or low dam below Lyle Park should be portaged when the river is below 4 ft, and the downstream low-water bridge loses clearance as the river rises.
Watch for
- Low water around and below 3.5 ft, when dragging across shoals, slower pools, and the lower portage sequence can turn this into a long day.
- Higher water above about 5.0 ft, when AGFC says the lower route becomes experienced-only and the long commitment becomes less forgiving.
- Fast chutes, riffles, strainers, fresh flood wood, muddy exits, and pushier current after thunderstorms.
- Private banks, anglers, swimmers near town, and the risk of reaching the lower-hazard package tired, late, or with limited daylight left.
Route gallery
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Sources
Check the data behind today's call.
Use this section when the page shows stale data, limited confidence, or a call you want to verify before driving.
Why this scoreToday's data confidence is checking
Data confidence mostly comes down to three things: how direct the gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking data confidence notes.
- Checking data confidence cautions.
OutlookTomorrow and weekend
This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Saline River at Benton, AR |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Target band | 3.60 ft to 5.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 3.50 ft |
| High threshold | 5.00 ft |
| Data confidence behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Arkansas Game and Fish Saline River Water Trail gauge bands |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesWhat to know before you go
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official route geometryTony Kelly Ford to Lyle Park 8.2 miles plus Lyle Park to Saline Crossing 4.2 miles
AGFC publishes both public route pieces, supporting a 12.4-mile Tony Kelly Ford to Saline Crossing day through the same reviewed Benton corridor.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 07363000
USGS Water Services returned same-day Saline River at Benton values of 329 cfs and 4.00 ft at 2026-07-06 13:30 CDT during this run, inside AGFC's typical-to-optimum lower-route window.
- Stage model3.5 / 3.6-5.0 / 5.0 ft
AGFC labels 3.5 ft and below as low, 3.6-4.0 ft as typical, 4.1-5.0 ft as optimum, and 5.1-5.5 ft as high experienced-only water. Paddle Today uses 3.6-5.0 ft as the broad audience band and treats water above 5.0 ft as outside the general recommendation.
- Endpoint coordinatesTony Kelly Ford Access 34.5844, -92.6938; Saline Crossing Access 34.54106, -92.60718
AGFC publishes both public route endpoints as named map-linked Saline River Water Trail accesses.
- Lower-route hazard rulesSpillway portage below 4 ft; low bridge mandatory at 6 ft
AGFC says the Benton Water Purification Plant spillway or low dam is hazardous and should be portaged when the river is below 4 ft, and that the downstream low-water bridge has insufficient clearance at 6 ft.
- Camping classificationnone
The reviewed AGFC route materials did not identify legal route camping at Tony Kelly Ford or Saline Crossing, and nearby banks should be treated as private.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
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Quick answers
Saline River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Saline River?
Paddle Today watches Saline River at Benton, AR and treats 3.60 ft to 5.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Saline River route start and end?
This route starts at Tony Kelly Ford Access and ends at Saline Crossing Access, about About 12.4 mi on the water.
Is this Saline River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
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